The Prairie Football Conference regular season ended with a surprise on Saturday as the Winnipeg Rifles stunned the Saskatoon Hilltops 27-11, while the Regina Thunder fell short of a perfect season with a 46-30 loss to the Calgary Colts.
The results set up an intriguing opening weekend of the PFC playoffs, with the Hilltops heading to Edmonton for a semifinal matchup with the Wildcats, while the Thunder will host the Colts at Leibel Field.
Rifles stun Hilltops in Saskatoon
For the first time in 36 years, the Saskatoon Hilltops will not open the playoffs on their home field.
The Winnipeg Rifles pulled off a 27-11 upset over the Hilltops in Saskatoon, leaving the Toppers with a 4-4 record and third place in the PFC standings on a tiebreaker. Saskatoon needed a win to secure a home semifinal but was outscored 27-1 over the final three quarters.
The Hilltops had a surprise starter at quarterback in Sam Bazarkiewicz, who connected with Tyson Korol for a touchdown to open the scoring and give Saskatoon an early 7-0 lead. The Hilltops added a 21-yard field goal to take a 10-0 advantage after the first quarter.
Veteran quarterback Griffin Sander entered the game to start the second quarter as the Hilltops began rotating quarterbacks throughout the afternoon.
Winnipeg got on the board with a field goal before a Saskatoon interception inside the five-yard line appeared to halt a promising Rifles drive. However, the Hilltops offence struggled to move the ball and conceded a safety, cutting the lead to 10-5.
The Rifles capitalized, with quarterback Riley Element finding Simon Leckie alone in the end zone for a touchdown to take a 12-10 lead.
A 32-yard field goal extended the advantage to 15-10 before Saskatoon turned the ball over on downs near midfield with Kyren Houmphanh at quarterback.
Winnipeg made the Hilltops pay, as Ayden Bone-Amann hauled in a touchdown reception with 35.8 seconds remaining in the first half to make it 22-10.
The Hilltops had one final opportunity before halftime but were denied when Evan Guercio made an unusual interception in the end zone. The ball bounced off his knee as he fell before he secured it while sitting on the turf, preserving Winnipeg's 22-10 lead at the break.
Kayden Houmphanh opened the second half at quarterback for Saskatoon, but the Rifles kept control of the game. Winnipeg added a 27-yard field goal early in the third quarter to extend its lead to 25-10.
The Hilltops kept shuffling quarterbacks, bringing Bazarkiewicz back into the game before returning to Sander. Saskatoon missed a 36-yard field goal, conceding a single point to make it 27-11.
Despite moving the ball into Winnipeg territory on several occasions, the Hilltops couldn't find the end zone. Saskatoon drove to the five-yard line but turned the ball over on downs, then later converted a fake punt as punter Gratton Ryden ran for 18 yards and a first down. The drive eventually stalled on another third-down incompletion.
The Hilltops had one last opportunity deep in Winnipeg territory but again couldn't convert on third down, turning the ball over on downs at the five-yard line.
The Rifles held on for the 27-11 victory to finish at 3-5. They missed the playoffs but ended their regular season on a high note and delivered a significant blow to the Hilltops' positioning.
The loss means the Hilltops will play a road semifinal for the first time since 1990. They will travel to Sherwood Park to face the Edmonton Wildcats next Sunday at 1 p.m. at Emerald Hills Sports Pavilion.
The Wildcats will host a playoff game for the first time in 17 years.
Thunder fall short of perfect season
The Regina Thunder entered their regular-season finale having already clinched first place in the PFC standings, but the Calgary Colts spoiled their bid for an unbeaten campaign with a 46-30 victory at Leibel Field.
Regina rested several starters after securing first place, with head coach Scott MacAulay pulling some key players late in the first half to prioritize health and give the team's depth valuable playing time.
MacAulay said the Thunder still wanted to win the game, but preparing for the playoffs also played a role in the decision.
"We got to make sure that we also keep guys healthy," MacAulay said. "To keep on going in the playoffs you have to be healthy, and also you got to have depth. It's an opportunity for us to give the next (players a chance). It's an opportunity to play, and hopefully use this as an opportunity to grow."
The Thunder got off to a strong start before Calgary mounted a second-half comeback. Regina was outscored 37-2 after halftime as the Colts rallied to take control.
The Thunder defence opened the game with a stop on downs, allowing quarterback Jayden Zelionka to lead the offence downfield. Zelionka connected with Lucas Di Iorio for an early touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
After Calgary missed a 35-yard field goal attempt, Regina extended its advantage when Zelionka punched the ball into the end zone to make it 14-0.
The Colts responded when quarterback Billy MacCready found Zion Dogbe-Brown for a touchdown, but the Thunder kept building their lead.
Zelionka connected with Carwyn Williams on a deep pass over the middle for another major before finding Benjamin Walz near the goal line. Walz stepped into the end zone to give Regina a 28-7 advantage.
With the Thunder having already secured first place, Eric Heroux took over at quarterback. Before halftime, Kaiden Thomson intercepted a Calgary pass in the end zone to preserve Regina's 28-7 lead.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the second half.
Regina conceded a safety early in the third quarter before Calgary receiver Jordayne Falconer caught a touchdown pass over the middle to cut the deficit to 28-16.
Falconer struck again on the next Colts possession with an outstanding touchdown catch, reaching around a defender and battling to secure the ball in the end zone. Calgary added a single on the ensuing kickoff to cut the deficit to four, 28-24.
The Thunder continued to rotate players as the game progressed. Calgary took advantage of the opportunity to turn the contest around.
Kaleb Conn intercepted a Regina pass, but the Colts couldn't capitalize on the turnover. The Thunder later missed a field goal with 1:32 remaining in the third quarter, and Calgary returned the ball out of the end zone.
Thomas Barrett gave the Colts their first lead of the afternoon when he ran the ball into the end zone early in the fourth quarter. The convert made it 31-28, a lead Calgary would not surrender.
The Colts continued to find success through the air, with Chewy Thomas adding two touchdown receptions to extend the advantage to 44-28.
Regina conceded another safety after its offence stalled, while Calgary also surrendered a safety after a stop by the Thunder defence. The Colts then added a final safety on the last play of the game as Regina was hemmed in deep in its own end, sealing the 46-30 final.
Following the loss, MacAulay acknowledged the disappointment but said the Thunder would use the experience as a learning opportunity ahead of the playoffs.
"I'm not feeling very good about it right now. I'll tell you that much," MacAulay said. "But we're going to take the good from it and learn from it, and then make sure that we're fully prepared for next week."
Despite the loss, the Thunder finish the regular season atop the PFC standings and will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Regina will host the Calgary Colts in a PFC semifinal next Sunday at Leibel Field, giving the Thunder an immediate opportunity to respond to their regular-season finale.
